Time-stamp



(No Model.)

W. H. GILLETTE.

TIME STAMP.

No. 289.404. Patented Dec. 4, 1883.

min (was e s. C

Inventor.

wag mm M Jlac 524% il'lLLL-Xhl H. Gl LLETTE, OF HARTFORD, COXXECTICUT.

T! M E-STAM P.

SZECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 289,404, dated December 4, 1883.

Application filed April 25, 1833.

T0 CLZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, \VILLIAM H. GILLETTE, of Hartford, Connecticut, have invented a new and useful Time-Stamp, of which the following description and claims constitute the speciiication, and which is illustrated by the accompanying drawings.

This invention is such a time-stamp as stamps upon the upper surface of papers a dial and one or more dial-pointers, represent ing the time of day at which the papers stamped by it were respectively so stamped.

Prior time-stamps have purported to stamp dials and dial-pointers upon the under surface of the papers subjected to their operation; but that result is much inferior in utility to the result of this invention, because the operator cannot conveniently look upon the under surface of his paper while stamping it, and there fore cannot, with any prior stamp known to me, conveniently cause the impression to ap pear upon the particular part of the surface of the paper where that impression is wanted. So, also, the mechanism of this invention is much superior, in point of simplicity, strength, and mode of operation, to the mechanism of any other dial time-stamp with which I am acquainted.

Figure 1 in the drawings represents a vertical central section of a device made in accordance with my invention, showing the gears in side elevation. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the stamping-surface of the stamp, showing also a side view of the knob V, projecting from the side of the stamp a short distance above that surface. Fig. 3 is a side view of that part of the side of the stamp which is below the cas ing of the apparatus, and is beyond the sec tion shown in Fig. 1.

A is the casing of the apparatus.

B is the upper part of the stamp.

O is a shell, which constitutes the middle part of the stamp. That shell should be closed on all sides, except that at the right hand.

D is the outer tube of the lower part of the stamp. It is rigidly attached to the shell 0, as the latter is also rigidly attached to the part B. These three parts move as one, reciprocating up and down, but never revolving.

E is a tube revolving within the tube D, and F is a shaftrcvolving within the tube E.

(No model.)

G is a gear keyed to that shaft, while H is a gear rigidly attached to the top of the tube E. K is a gear meshing with H, and L is a gear meshing with G. Both K and L are keyed to the shaft M.

N is a shoulder on the shaft F. Bet-ween that shoulder and the lower part of that shalt the gear H. revolves in aruuning fit on that shaft.

0 is a long cylindrical gear meshing with K, at whatever point on its length K may be working.

P is an intermediate gear between 0 and Q, while Q is a gear keyed to a shaft which extends to a clock below the apparatus.

t is a part of the stamp rigidly attached to the tube D, and projecting from that part of that side of that tube which is below the cars ing A and beyond the section shown in Fig. 1.

U is aquadrantshaped device oscillating on the pivot TV and within the part B, and having the projections S and T. On the pro jection S the letters A. M. appearin relief, and upon the projection T the letters P. M. similarly appear.

V is the knob of a set-screw, the body of which slides in a curved slit in the outer wall of the part B, and the thread of which setscrew works in a threaded hole in the device U.

A strong spiral spring encircles the tube 1) below the shell 0, and above and within the lower wall of the upper part of the casing A. That spring has its under bearing upon that wall and its upper bearing under and against the bottom of that shell, and its function is to raise and hold the stamp after every depression of the latter.

On the surface of the lower end of the tube D a dial appears in relief. the lower end of the tube E two parts of a dial-pointer appear in like relief. These two parts are 011 a line with each other, and are on opposite sides of the annular end of the tube.

011 the lower end of the shaft F another dialpointer appears in relief. A circle also appears in relief on the same surface and encircling that pointer, and a larger circle appears in relief on the end of the tube E, and, encircling both parts of the dial-pointer which On the surface of 4 appears on the latter surface. Both these circles are on the same plane with the dial-pointers, the dial, and the letters A. M.

The mode of operation of this apparatus is as follows: The shaft to which the gear Q is keyed being attached to the minute-arbor of a suitable clock, placed under the table upon which the stamp rests, the motion of that arbor will be communicated to the tube E and the shaft F through the intervening gears. The gear H being identical in circumference and number of spurs with the gear Q, the tube E will revolve in the same direction as the minute-hand arbor, and with the same number of revolutions in any given time. The gears K, L, and G are to be proportioned to each other and to the gear H in such a manner as that the shaft F will revolve in the same direction with the tube E; but only once while the latter revolves twelve times.

Under this construction, if the clock and dial-pointers are set at accurate time, and if the clock is kept correctly running, it is clear that accurate time will always be indicated by the position of the dial-pointers relatively to each other and to the dial. If, in addition, the user of the apparatus will oscillate the device U from left to right when it is before noon, and will set it there by means of the setscrew V, then the letters A. M. will also appear in relief on the working-surface of the stamp. At the hour of 4.30 a. m., that surface will have the appearance shown by Fig. 2. If thereupon the user places a pa per under the stamp and then depresses the top of the stamp, the gear K will slide down the gear 0 and enable the impression shown in Fig. 2 to be printed in reverse on the upper side of that paper. That reverse impression will show at a glance that the paper was stamped at 4.30 a. m. The stamp can thus continue to be used as often as desired till noon, and it will indicate on all the papers stamped the respective times of their stamping. When about to stamp the first time after noon, the user mayloosen the set-screw V and then oscillate the device U to the left, and then tighten the set-screw. Thereafter, till changed again, the letters P. M. will appear on the stamp where the letters FA. M. appear in Fig. 2.

This apparatus may be modified in many ways without affecting its substantial identity. It will be well insome cases to mount a strong chronometer-mainspring up on one of the shafts or within the cylindrical gear 0, the machine thus requiring regulation only, and not motive power from the clock below the apparatus. So, also, that clock may be placed'outside of the apparatus, but elsewhere than below it; or it may be fixed within the casing A. Moreover, the tube E and its gearing may be dispensed with, and the shaft F be madeto revolve alone and with any desired speed if the user is content to have but one dial-pointer, and if two pointers are desired the feathered part of the pointer 011 the tube E may be omitted. The circles in relief may also be omitted; but they are useful for the purpose of securing evenness of thrust when the stamp is worked, especially if the pointers they respectively e11- circle extend farther in one direction from the center of the stamp than they do in the other direction.

Additions of many kinds may also be made to this apparatus. may not only carry the letters A. M. and P. M., but it may also carry other independent changeable or unchangeable characters around other parts of the circumference of the dial. Received May 1, 1883, is one example of such matter.

The apparatus may be inked in any of the methods known to the art of inking handstamps.

I claim as my invention the following con1- binations respectively.

1. The combination of the revolving shaftF, the revolving tube E, the reciprocating tube D, the gears G, H, K, and L, and the gear 0.

2. The combination of therevolving shaft F, the reciprocating tube D, the gear 0, and suitable gearing, substantially as described, by means of which the gear 0 may cause the shaft F to revolve, at whatever point on the gear 0 that suitable gearing may be at work.

WM. H. GILLETTE.

\Vitnesses:

CHARLES Mac GEACHY, J .urns CAFFREY.

For example, the stamp 

